Dispersed SnO2 colloids using sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate for high-performance planar perovskite solar cells

• Published in: Solar energy 2021-12, Vol.230, p.747-753
• Main Authors: Hoang, Van Quy, Lee, Shin Kyu, Bark, Chung Wung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Benzene; Colloids; Crystal defects; Crystallization; Dispersion; Electron transport; Energy conversion efficiency; Grain boundaries; Grain boundary; High temperature; Holes (electron deficiencies); Hydrocarbons; Low temperature; Nanoparticles; Open circuit voltage; Perovskite solar cells; Perovskites; Photovoltaic cells; Reagents; Recombination; SnO2-SDBS; Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate; Solar cells; Solar energy; Sulfonic acid; Surfactant; Tin dioxide; Titanium dioxide; Wetting; Wetting agents
• ISSN: 0038-092X; 1471-1257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2021.10.081

•The surface wettability, agglomeration, and surface roughness of SnO2 thin films can be regulated by employing SDBS.•SDBS influences the crystallization and promotes the vertical crystal growth of perovskite.•Increasing the efficiency to 19.3% by suppressing charge recombination in the PSC devices. Recently, SnO2-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have become more promising than traditional-material-based PSCs because of their simple low-temperature solution approach and low cost; meanwhile, the high-temperature process of mesoporous TiO2-based PSCs still offers a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE). In planar-based PSCs, nonradiative recombination of electron-hole pairs at the SnO2/perovskite interface leads to a loss of potential and a reduced PCE. Here, the SnO2-SDBS electron transport layer (ETL) is employed in PSCs to depress the defects of the SnO2 layer and the grain boundaries of the perovskite film. The surfactant SDBS was used as a wetting agent for SnO2 nanoparticles, to improve dispersibility. In addition, the benzene sulfonic acid group of SDBS attached to the SnO2-SDBS film can control the process of perovskite crystallization, producing a vertically aligned growth and large-grain perovskite layer. Finally, the open-circuit voltage was improved from 1.038 to 1.077 V and the PCE increased from 18.01% to 19.25% in the devices using the SnO2-SDBS ETL. The incorporation of SnO2-SDBS as an ETL paves the way to further performance enhancements of SnO2-based planar PSCs.